


Respite

by toccatina



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Cross-Post, F/M, married au, post-Red Lotus AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:49:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28399488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toccatina/pseuds/toccatina
Summary: Chief Beifong had seen a lot of blood and death in the years that she had been serving in the force. She was no stranger to injury as well (she’s a Beifong, no one would have expected any different).However, nothing could have prepared her to see her pacifist husband bruised, bloodied, battered and at the brink of death.
Relationships: Lin Beifong/Tenzin
Comments: 6
Kudos: 69





	Respite

**Author's Note:**

> Note: Here’s another response to a prompt from tumblr  
> altheasideas asked:  
> we NEED more soft/protective Lin!! Maybe taking care of Tenzin after he’s hurt or something- reverse the roles!!  
> Probably an AU where Linzin is married (maybe have kids??) and takes place after the events of Zaheer  
> \---
> 
> There is a shortage of recent Lin/Tenzin stories so I figured… why not? I feel like this might have been done already but here’s my spin to it following the prompt I received. Hope you enjoy.

Chief Beifong knew there will be a lot of work to be done once they land at Republic city. But for now, she grabbed the opportunity that her sister presented her (“I’ll take care of all the coordination for now – take care of your family.”). It was not often that Suyin offered help without any hidden agenda, but Lin was far too exhausted to think of the ramifications of this decision and opted to take it at face level.

Two down, one more to go, she thought as she pressed the button that closed the door behind her. She pushed forward the cart she got from the airship’s kitchen. There was only one food tray left; she had already delivered the other two meals and then some. Her equanimity was not left unscathed though.

It was perturbing to help the normally capable Bumi bandage himself as he barely cracked a grin at her (he had cracked ribs after all).

It was similarly disorienting to assist the usually limber Kya in changing into more comfortable clothes that would allow better movement with her crutches.

She knew there was a few more hours before they reach Republic City. This gives her enough time…

Taking a deep breath to ready herself for what lies beyond the last metal door, she pushed the button to slide open the door.

“I said I’m not hungry.” A cranky and hoarse voice imposed from the middle of the room.

“That’s too bad,” Lin entered, carrying the food tray and a small medicine bag. “You don’t really have a choice, Tenzin.”

Contrary to popular belief, between the two of them, it is the airbender who is a difficult patient.

She could see the man lying prone on the bed, propped up by several pillows, squinting at her. “Lin.”

It is the first time that husband and wife had been alone since they separated in Ba Sing Se.

Chief Beifong had seen a lot of blood and death in the years that she had been serving in the force. She was no stranger to injury as well (she’s a Beifong, no one would have expected any different).

However, nothing could have prepared her to see her pacifist husband bruised, bloodied, battered and the brink of death.

He had leaned heavily on her when he got down with Mako from the bison. He was vacillating between wakefulness and unconsciousness at the time.

It was jarring to see him in that condition. He had always been her pillar of strength, someone she sought to rely on whenever the going gets rough. For him to need to depend on another person… it was unthinkable.

As someone trained for the police force, she made sure to tamp down any emotions or worries at that time to focus on their task at hand – which was to retrieve the airbenders and hunt down the Red Lotus. She knew that if she let her emotions take over, she would have probably committed something worse than the fate that had befallen the combustion bender. There would have been no going back from that – it could have jeopardized their mission and it was probably something that Tenzin _might_ hold against her. Never mind that she did it for him.

At present, she pulled up a chair at his bedside, placing the food tray on the nightstand.

Finally summoning the courage to address her husband directly, Lin sat down and swallowed drily.

Lin was thankful that all the grime and the blood had been cleaned off Tenzin. On the other hand, it further highlighted each bruise and each cut that littered his face and skin.

She leaned over, gently running her fingers at the lump that that formed near the blue arrow. “You gave us quite a scare.”

_You gave me a scare._

“How are Bumi and Kya?” Tenzin evaded addressing the comment.

“They’re in no better shape than you,” The metalbender leaned back, one hand carefully cupping the airbender’s cheek. “They, however, could feed themselves, which is more than I can say for you.” She felt Tenzin lean into her touch. “Don’t even try saying you’re not hungry.” She ran her thumb on her husband’s chapped dry lips. “I know for a fact that you sent out the last staff that Su sent with food.”

Tenzin rolled his eyes but did not refute her.

“Drink some water first,” Lin opened the water bottle she brought. “Please?”

Gingerly, she helped the airbender ease himself to a better sitting position, not missing the several winces the man made while doing so.

Even if Tenzin opened his palm to ask for the water bottle, Lin curled her hand around it, not drawing attention to how his hand shook as he took a sip.

He lowered the bottle and their hands, smacking his now wet lips. “There, does that satisfy you, dear?”

Lin shook her head and twisted to remove the cover of the soup bowl. “Finish half of this, at least.” The appetizing aroma of the lentil spinach soup wafted from the bowl.

“I’m not -.” He began to say before his grumbling stomach interrupted him.

On any other day, Lin would have teased him. On any other day, Lin might have glared at him and probably out of childishness, taken the entire bowl and drank the entirety of it in two gulps, leaving none for him. On any other day, Tenzin might have attempted to wrestle the bowl from her and then feed her himself.

Today was not one of those days.

Instead, Lin threw him a concerned glance as she unfolded a cloth napkin which she placed on his lap.

Tenzin sighed across her, a sound of acquiescence, of defeat.

She blew lightly on a spoonful of soup. She edged closer to draw the spoon to his reluctantly opened mouth.

They repeated this several times in silence before Lin had the strength to voice out her fear.

"We could have lost you."

_I could have lost you._

"I had to hold them off." Was the stilted reply, voice cracking from exhaustion and lack of use. "The kids…" He trailed off.

"I know you did," Lin looked down at the bowl, biting her lip, scraping soup stuck at the sides. "They're okay now, both of them."

Their two children, one airbender and one earthbender, had both been at the Air Temple at the time of the attack.

The couple had reasoned that it would be the safer alternative to travelling around the Earth Kingdom with the Avatar.

Lin could not help but think what that decision had almost cost them.

"I don't know what I would have done if you -." She choked up, grip loosening and the spoon clattering on the porcelain.

She quickly turned away, busying herself in tidying the food tray; one hand in a tight fist, a sign that her husband knew to mean that Lin was grappling with containing her feelings.

Tenzin did not fail to notice his wife's red-rimmed eyes when she entered the room. He knew she was trying to keep it together for his sake. Thankfully, Lin thought, he knew better than to bring it up.

The crinkling of foil echoed in the quiet room as Lin inspected the rest of the food tray. "There's also sweet mung bean bun for dessert. Would you want to eat it now?"

Without waiting for a reply, she tore a small piece and bumped the bite-sized bread to his mouth.

As Lin was about to get another piece, Tenzin reached out to grasp her wrist, keeping her hand against his lips. He landed a kiss to her palm while maintaining eye contact. Angling himself painstakingly, he patted the side of his bed.

Come here, the action implied.

Lin could feel her neck heating up.

The action brought to mind a different time and a different place, when their positions were reversed.

_I need you with me. Please._

_Make me forget what we almost lost._

(Truth be told, that might have been when their youngest was conceived.)

The earnestness in her husband's tired gaze was enough to remove her reservations in joining him in bed.

Lin thanked the spirits for her presence of mind in having the burns from P'Li treated earlier before checking on her in-laws and husband. There was no way she would have been able to hide those injuries from Tenzin.

He did not know about the confrontation with the combustion bender - and Lin wanted to keep it that way.

She fluffed his pillows and lowered the back of the bed.

With cautious and measured movements, Lin climbed in beside him, taking prodigious care not to jostle the airbender or unnecessarily hit his injuries.

Her husband smiled gratefully at her, he tried to circle an arm around her shoulder but found it too painful to stretch.

Instead, Lin pushed herself closer, close enough for their heartbeats to sync. She could feel his hand still shaking as he lightly carded his fingers through her hair in a bid to reassure her.

There was almost no part of him that was not rubbed with salve or wrapped with bandages so Lin had to tread carefully where to place her hand. She settled for a section above his ribs and she reached up to place a kiss on his collarbone.

She did not react to the drops of moisture she felt on her skin, which could only come from the silent tears of the airbender. She recognizes that he needs this, to grieve unobtrusively.

There would be a world of disorder that awaits them. But, just for now, just behind the closed metal doors, they can breathe.


End file.
